The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Ivy Geranium plant, botanically know as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name `Meritropical`.
The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Wateringen, The Netherlends. The objective of the breeding program was to develop compact Ivy Geranium varieties with semi-double flowers, fast rooting, good flower form, tolerance to Botrytis, weather resistance, compact and pendant growth habit, and attractive flower and foliage colors.
The new Ivy Geranium orginated from a cross made by the inventor of two proprietary seedling selections identified as code number A 134 as the female, or seed, parent and code A 246 as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Ivy Geranium was discovered and selected by the inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Wateringen, The Netherlands, in June, 1992.
Compared to plants of the male parent, plants of the new Ivy Geranium are less compact and have larger flowers, Compared to plants of the female parent, plants of the new Ivy Geranium are more compact and have shorter peduncles. Additionally, flowers of plants of the female parent have more dark pink streaks than flowers of plants of the new Ivy Geranium.
Asexual reproduction of the new Ivy Geranium by terminal cuttings taken at Wateringen, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.